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EA Defends Medal of Honor Amidst Taliban Controversy
Rather than take the Konami route and succumb to political pressure, EA is sticking to its guns and defending Medal of Honor.
When alarmists found out that one side plays as the Taliban during multiplayer matches, they took to the airwaves and denounced the game. The furor reached the upper echelon of the British government, with Defense Secretary Liam Fox going as far as to call for a ban of the game. Nevermind that several multiplayer shooters in the past have pitted one side as the Nazis, Vietcong, Chinese, and other Middle Eastern countries with known hostilities toward America and Great Britain.
Speaking to Develop magazine, EA Games president Frank Gibeau didn't mince words or back down, saying “We respect the media’s views, but at the same time [these reports] don’t compromise our creative vision and what we want to do."
“At EA we passionately believe games are an art form, and I don’t know why films and books set in Afghanistan don’t get flack, yet [games] do," he continued. "Whether it’s Red Badge Of Courage or The Hurt Locker, the media of its time can be a platform for the people who wish to tell their stories. Games are becoming that platform."
Gibeau also pointed out that not everyone in the military is against the title. “What’s really important for us is that we partnered with the U.S. military and the Medal of Honor Society as well," he said. "We’ve gone out of our way to produce the best story for the game."
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